On Mistaking a Stranger for a Dead Friend
On Mistaking a Stranger for a Dead Friend
Bass River, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
Where dozens of egrets feast
on their own reflection,
late streaks of sun
strike a surfcaster’s face.
As he ties a jig lure,
I squint into the glare.
We’d fish this marsh as kids
for perch we called kiver,
a gang of us upriver
stomping swamp orchids
along a . . .
. . . . . . .
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Able Muse Write Prize for Poetry, 2022 ▪ Winner
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“‘On Mistaking a Stranger for a Dead Friend’ has it all—the sounds, the psychology (a whole theory of memory) and, most important of all, playfulness even when the subject is tragic. Bird, riverbank, and a random encounter all blend into a perfect representation of a human mind at work. Bravo!”
—Aaron Poochigian, Final Judge, 2022 Able Muse Write Prize (for poetry)
on this winning poem, “On Mistaking a Stranger for a Dead Friend” by Brian Brodeur.
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